• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

Horrorshow

Second Lieutenant
4 Badges
Jan 19, 2003
160
0
Visit site
  • Hearts of Iron III
  • Semper Fi
  • 500k Club
  • Hearts of Iron IV Sign-up
Note: My conceit here is assuming the role of Otto Günsche, Der Fuehrer's adjutant for the last years of the war. Pretty much a what if, as I'm hoping to be in a bombed out bunker in 6 years, but we'll see. He begins as a low-level officer. For reference I am playing The Federalist's mod Total War, v3 for 1.3, which is listed as being designed for a challenging German game. We'll see! :D

I am at VH/Aggressive/FoW=on (I like aggressive as Furious seems to make the AI do stupid stuff). So far it's definitely a challenge, as you begin on Sept 1, 1939 with only 200 of each resource, including supply and oil, and your air units are very low strength. It also is nice in that movement rates are much reduced, and so much more realistic. Anyway, on with the show.



The Diary of Otto Günsche

Sept 1, 1939- Today was the start of the long awaited moment! In the early dawn hours we struck at our mortal enemy Poland and a swift victory will surely be ours!

Sept 9, 1939- OKH was unable to explain why our Luftwaffe was in such disarray on the eve of battle and all but sealed OKW as the High Command for war prosecution. Our poorly prepared and supplied Luftwaffe weakens our Blitzkrieg and gives the Poles much relief. More than one pistol-shot is heard at Luftwaffe headquarters, and Goring himself is demoted to Wing Commander. But he is such a sycophant that he will surely turn up in command again.

September 14, 1939- Our noose around England's neck is broken; our sub flotillas are destroyed and our surface fleet pushed back into safe harbor. The oceans belong to our enemies and they make us pay. The DAK supply line is under constant attack, and we are beset on all sides by low creatures. Our prayers our with Rommel and our starving soldiers in Africa.

September 28, 1939- Our glorious leader put his faith in Field Marshal von Weichs and it paid off handsomely, though not without risks! A countrywide pincers movement netted all of Poland in our bag and allowed us to dictate the pace of battle. That pace gave us the East in but 4 weeks, and the Allies grow frightened! Now for France and an end to this war.

October 1, 1939- Norway insults us by siding with our enemies. Their time will come. We also give part of Poland to the Russian animals, like scraps to a dog. It is not a popular decision, but I accept it as expedient. If you don't give a dog scraps it might bite you when you least expect it. They did not even have the bravery to cross the border until we had made it safe for them. Perhaps they had expected us to carry them across on our backs? They however have the food and raw materials we need now that we are under blockade, and thus must be accorded some leeway.

October 18, 1939- France has gambled all on the Maginot Line and we shall win the bet. Our forces smash through Luxemburg and advance quickly. The French are done.

October 23, 1939- The filthy bastards. The Maginot Line was not all they had, no fools they. Metz was like the trenches all over again, and we were shattered. If you are not prepared for calamity it is so much worse. The cream of our Mechanized and Panzer forces were mauled, and casualties among the 12 divisions approached 80%. We shall not put our faith in Guderian and his promises of Lightning war anytime soon. Achtung Panzer indeed! The implacable Allied Air make the retreat a nightmare, and only the valiant efforts of our fighter squadrons allow us to salvage anything from the retreat. Another way must be found.

October 25, 1939- Our focus turns to the other Low Countries which impede us, and today our armies strike them at every turn. Without the fortifications of the French, their fate is sealed.

November 22, 1939- We burst through to Sedan and it was as if our prayers had been answered. Strong French forces in Lille and Reims but in Amiens was but a screen, which we easily brushed aside. Keitel was strongly against a crossing of the Seine, but the Fuehrer ordered Kleist and the 1st Armee across to seize Paris.

November 29, 1939- The French are mad. Once Paris was seized the government capitulated completely, and Petain was installed as head of what remains of France, with its capitol in Vichy. But the foolish French army refuses to put down arms for the most part, and so what seemed to be the most expedient solution to avoid bloodshed will instead result in more. Today the Italians join us and are a welcome ally in our struggle.

December 27, 1939- Even on Christmas Day they refused to stop fighting, but this evening the last of the French army was destroyed in Cholet. Without supplies their effectiveness was reduced, and in the Troyes pocket alone 34 French Divisions were crushed by a single Armee. Now it is time to rest and refit, and to try and make the English see reason in our common cause of Anti-Bolshivism. The Belgians and Hollanders refuse our legitimate conquests and have set up governments-in-exile in Africa and the South Pacific. Such stubborn foolishness.

December 28, 1939- Mussolini the fool! The smoke has not yet cleared from the French battlefield and he declares war on Greece! Are we to fly there on angel wings? A man barely capable of winning in Ethiopia grows suddenly brave at the worst time, and it is Germany that must deliver the impossible again.

January 29, 1940- In the West von Weichs commands a defense of 15 divisions against any British foolishness; currently this amounts to only harrassment bombing and is laughable. In the East Paulus commands a defense of 23 divisions against Stalin treachery, who is still digesting his Baltic meal. But with this stripping of forces, Rundstedt in the south has 60 divisions to resolve the Greek situation. There will not be a repeat of France and not enough divisions. The Fuehrer has decreed that Yugoslavia must yield to our needs for access to attack Greece, and if they will not grant this then we will stomp them flat on our way to Athens and give ourselves a Mediterranean port as a present. I suspect Rommel will be ecstatic at no longer relying on an Italian supply line, though with 9 divisions in Tobruk it seems all but secure at this point.

February 8, 1940- The Yogoslavians not only refuse to grant us passage, they give it to our Greek enemies. War is on their heads, not ours.

February 19, 1940- The battle for the mountains of Ljubljana raged for 6 days in the snow and ice, but today we drove out the last of the defenders. Even outnumbering the enemy 5 to 1 it was a near thing, and several corps must be withdrawn to rest and refit. General Student's Mountain Corps led the attack and thus suffered heavily; at last report his divisions had suffered nearly 50% casualties. Let us hope that this was the worst we will suffer in this campaign.

March 19, 1940- The Fuehrer is very angry at Mussolini. Today we annexed Yugoslavia after hard fighting and 53,000 casualties, yet the rewards were a port in the Med and the much needed Tirana oil fields. Somehow that pompous windbag managed to claim the one area we desired above all others in that region, and sits there like a fat child eating a candy. The Fuehrer can do nothing, as we need Mussolini to supply Rommel and keep the Allied navies busy. A small price to pay in that respect, but oil is still in short supply and we have but a weeks reserve. We need more.

April 2, 1940- The fight in Greece goes well, though all our work is for the Italians benefit only. There was some Croatian rumblings for an independent state, but they were quickly dispelled. To give up the hard-won ports is sheer madness, as today inaugerated the Split-Benghazi supply line across the Med! No longer are we reliant on Italian schedules, and we now are committed to supporting a North African campaign. Can Mid-east oil be far behind? For the sake of our armored units, I hope not.
 
This is really good, keep going! It is informed, yet still with the propagandist view. Very good :)
 
Not a lot of action in this one except Rommel kicking some arse, mostly gearing up for either Sea Lion or Norway. Due to lack of quality navy I've had to hoard my fleet for this one effort, which is likely to be a single shot considering how few ships I have. I am outnumbered 5-1 in Navy, and definitely have low quality. I have assembled 6 transports for an invasion, but I'm racing the clock and weather. I have 5 Navy Bomber wings coming out in December 1940, but the weather will be miserable and make any landing a nightmare in England (this mod has the crappiest English beach with 5 forts). Getting a toehold on England would do wonders for drawing him out of the Med where he's mauling my supply lines to Africa (Another bad day and Rommel will be completely cut off, as the Italians have no navy or transports left themselves).

Really fun so far, I'd like to deal with England before starting a two front war, but I'll accept it if I'm thrown back in the sea. I'll only get one chance, as Russia is probably running about 2000+ IC at this point, and has well over 100 divisions on our border, as well as slightly better Land Tech. Decisions decisions! :D

April 13, 1940- Our cause is great, and whether it is from fear or greed, allies flock to our banner. Slovakia, Italy, Bulgaria Hungary and Romania have all allied with our cause. In Greece we applied Teutonic efficiency and resolved the Italian's troubles quickly. 15 Greek divisions are pushed back to the island of Iraklion, and that is all that remains of Greece. The redoubt will not fall quickly, but that is no longer our concern. No one can know the mind of the Fuehrer, but I am sure he will not keep us idle long.

April 23, 1940- Bogatsch's 51st Sturzkampfverbände, attached to the Afrika Korps, begins to soften up the 9 pasty English divisions in Bardiyah. In Tobruk Rommel makes ready to try for the Suez with Italian support. And a rumor of a new operation begins to make the rounds, this one with the obviously phony name 'Sealion'. When will these barracks comedians cut it out?

May 1, 1940- And the race is on for Alexandria! Rommel deftly smashed through English forces today and makes for the Suez canal. The Italians claim the territory is theirs, as if they could have won it themselves! They are like a leech, draining the joy from our victories.

May 18, 1940- Racing faster than Rommel's armor can keep up, he takes a chance and wins big when Beyer's 90th Light Motorized Corps smashes the British screen and rolls into Alexandria. How soon before Churchill comes begging like a dog? I can picture him now, and Der Fuehrer smacking him on the snout with a rolled up newspaper! In Berlin on leave the streets are like a festival, and more than one indecent proposal has been whispered in my ear today. It is good to be German!

Germany, Germany above all
Above everything in the world
When, always, for protection and defense
Brothers stand together.
From the Maas to the Memel
From the Etsch to the Belt,
Germany, Germany above all
Above all in the world!

May 25, 1940- The Italians have lost their entire navy, except a handful of subs. How are we to supply our victorious African Korps when the British control the water? Attacking Turkey might be the straw that breaks the American back, and we do not wish their entry. Why can't the English understand our desire for peace? If we just had the oil we need we would ask for nothing more. Warmongering western powers! Our offensive in Africa has stalled, as Rommel has no fuel. What is the saying? 'Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!' Damn these Brits.

June 2, 1940- In light of the Italian failures, Donitz has left Waddenzee waters with our entire sub fleet in hopes of protecting our Mediterranean convoys.

June 4, 1940- Donitz reports encounter with English ASW aircraft and 1 of his subs sunk. He puts in to an Atlantic port for repairs.

July 5, 1940- El Arish is ours! We have bottled up the Suez and Barstow is on the run. The British are finished in the Middle East.

July 18, 1940- Donitz is in the Med and infantry divisions are being moved to Africa to consolidate our holdings. Once this is complete we will be ready to clear out Africa, or possibly move for the oil. My unit has been put on high alert and has move orders to Rostock. Russia and England remain quiet and docile. Last night on the radio Der Fuehrer gave a stirring speech, and many men in my platoon wept, I among them. The shame of Versailles is gone.

July 20, 1940- Damn the Italians! Why can they not control this pond, this stream? Two seperate British fleets crippled Donitz's sub fleet and sunk our Mediterranean transports, taking with them all aboard, God rest their souls, and curse the English monsters. Rumor is we too shall soon be aboard transports, which prospect no longer fills me with glee.

August 2, 1940- The Free French try a landing in Bordeaux, and are repulsed badly.
 
August 21, 1940- The weather is warm and the skies remain clear. We began boarding transports last night, and I now write this in the cramped hold of a tramp steamer. All around us streams of men, thousands upon thousands continue to board. Another 2 days should see us underway. As I boarded, my heart rose as I saw the Graf Zeppelin leading a large fleet out in advance of us. Who would dare oppose us now?

August 30, 1940- Disaster. The Zeppelin is sunk, and our surface fleet crippled. It seems we were bound for Scapa Flow when large British fleets converged on us and drove away our fleet. Contingency plans have been drawn up it seems, and we begin preparations to assault Narvik in Norway. With but 6 divisions and no sea or air cover, I can only hope force of arms will carry us through. The landing will be opposed.

September 10, 1940- The Sharnhorst and whats left of our fleet has appeared off the coast as we load into the landing craft. They look the worse for wear, Emden is listing badly to port and is low in the water, but in this hour of need they have appeared like guardian angels. May their fire be accurate and the British busy elsewhere.

September 12, 1940- We have caught the Norwegians napping! Our assault began yesterday in the pre-dawn light, with my landing craft the third one in. As we approached the shore the defenders opened up with light machineguns and rifle fire, but no heavy weapons. It was then that I knew we would be victorious, though the men killed in the assault would take no comfort in that. I am proud of my men, and when Unteroffizer Horvath took a bullet in the jaw he refused treatment, bound himself with a kerchief and began firing again. All around me men rose to heroic feats and it was but a day before we secured Narvik and its airfields. Supply is still an issue, but it is hoped that the Luftwaffe will be able to support us soon. Word is reinforcements are on the way, and will certainly be needed in this mountainous terrain. It has begun raining hard, and it is my hope that it does not hold and hinder us in this place.

September 21, 1940- Major General Stumme exceeded his orders and led half of the Afrika Korps to disaster in the Sudan. This morning he did the honorable thing, and has been replaced by Lt. General Hoepner. I hope he will prove more effective. In Norway progress is difficult. The accursed mountains, rain and gloom all conspire to slow our advance. How these people can abide such a gloomy place I do not know.

October 7, 1940- I received almost a months worth of mail today, as our supply lines remain effective. My darling Inge writes almost daily, and it lifts my spirit. Though I did no more than others, I have been honored with a promotion to Hauptmann, and will do my duty to my new men. I only wish my duty would take us to warmer and sunnier climes!

November 6, 1940- This morning we marched into Oslo and accepted the surrender of their armed forces. Sporadic fighting remains in the Hamar region, but it is over for them. The British never once tried to save them; so much for the value of their friendship! As the weather turns cold I only hope we are not assigned to coastal duty here. It would be good to be back home.

November 11, 1940- Good news at sea. A new philosophy of submarine warfare, whereby several subs work together to take down prey, like a wolf pack, has begun to pay handsome dividends. The radio is reporting we've sunk an English fleet, including the cruisers Glasgow and Southhampton, without the loss of a single sub. Victories at sea are all the sweeter from their rarity.

November 26, 1940- The tide turns in the Med, and Rommel is reinforced with 2 additional Corps of Infantry. For myself I have been reassigned to the 9th Infantrie Division in Poland, where there is a large amount of reorganization going on. We are currently in Danzig, and rumor has it we are being formed into a large Army under Field Marshal von Bock.

December 18, 1940- Another reverse in Africa. England wants Egypt back and is coming through the backdoor, and Rommel may not be equal to the task. The Sudan may be the end of his career as an officer.

January 13, 1941- Rommel has been reinforced, but so have the British. He orders a risky attack to save a retreating armor column. Even with prepatory ground strikes he is badly outnumbered. If this gamble fails we will have to retreat to the coast and attempt to hold, but with so many men captured it would be a miracle.

screensave5.jpg



February 29, 1941- We had been preparing to move into positions along the border with the Russians when the order was rescinded. It may have to do with the weather, as north of the Black Sea is a large cold front, with mixed snow and rain. I hope it will dry before we jump off, as it is obvious that we plan to attack. I hope only that their spies are dim-witted, as it should be tough to miss over 1 million men!

March 10, 1941- Success in Africa! Rundstedt was just the man we needed, and he succeeded marvelously. The radio says 90,000 Tommies have surrendered in the Sudan, and he has the rest on the run now. Once again a better general shows just how over-rated Mechanized forces are. The only things an army needs are foot soldiers and trucks to move them around. There is a panzer armee stationed across the river and judging by the size of their fuel yard and equipment sheds they probably wouldn't get far before supplies became an issue. Maybe okay for local reaction forces, but they'd never be worth a damn in an offensive. High Command has wisely ordered our two panzer armees to take a reserve role. As if they could keep up on the offensive! Rommel has been disgraced and demoted. Poor man, he just wasn't cut out for military cleverness. Perhaps he will make a good General Staff officer, just as long as he is not out in the field getting his men killed needlessly.

screensave11.jpg



April 1, 1941- The order has been given: It is war. My men gather together their equipment and hurriedly write last-minute letters home. We do not know when we shall be able to write again, so it is best to take the opportunity now. Ahead of us lies the forbidding Pripet Marshes and the waiting Slavic hordes. I don't like leaving enemies at our backs, but if we had faced west we'd have still had them there. Best to lance this boil now, before it grows even more painful. I must write Inge. May God favor our cause.


screensave13.jpg



This should be interesting. I believe I have Africa in hand, but it was largely luck that won the day, and he still outnumbers me there while my supply lines are still thin. I have not lifted FoW, but he must be occupied elsewhere, as I have managed to keep him no closer than Crete. I just won a large sub battle there, so if he does not react soon he will not be able to stop me from the Med.

Russia is going to be a problem, but as time goes by in this mod Russia keeps getting stronger and stronger, and most likely has 4-6 times my economy at this point. I don't have a choice. I wanted to launch March 1, 1941 but a bad storm ran for several weeks so I of course chose April Fool's Day for my attack. :D

While I have a slight edge on him in units, he has twice my mechanical divisions, and more importantly a whole order of magnitude better Land Tech. I have about 15 on the summary, while he is over 19. Not a lot of breaking and running I suspect. My one advantage is signigicantly better air power, though I begin the war with only basic bombers and tanks. If I can push him back a bit it might still work, since I can now build Pz IVs and He111s will be available in 6 months. Hope you're enjoying this, it's definitely a lot of fun so far for me!

On a side note, my Panzer forces were shattered in France, so I decided to run with the idea that Blitzkrieg was a disgraced concept. It plays well with the fact that under this mod version (which I believe has been fixed since) Mechanized Infantry with attached Brigades have a speed of 1. Rather than leave them behind I dragged them along, but with the no gas retreat bug it means a 2+ month retreat from a 34 infrastructure province. While it's fixed now, I like the handicap for a AAR that's for a game that should be very hard to win, so I'm running with it. I've organized my Panzers/Mechanized Infantry Divisions into two large armies, that will only be used as reaction/reserve forces, so no blitzing or lightning war (considering how tough Russia is in this mod, I'm dooming myself). I have 7 12 division foot armies, 2 9 division panzer armies, 3-4 3 division Defense Corps and approximately 20 Tactical Bombers. You can see from the picture that he outnumbers me already on this front, and to top it off many of the provinces have level 2 or better forts. Whee!

When Generals have failures I normally demote/cashier them for a time. That normally means a one year punishment tour with a Coastal Defense Division in Norway. Currently I have 2 Field Marshals and several Generals up there in time out. :D

More tomorrow, thanks for reading!
 
Last edited:
Is this thread dead?